Guatemala: Never Again

By Archidiocese of Guatemala

Book Overview

"As a church, we collectively and responsibly assumed the task of breaking the silence that thousands of war victims have kept for years. We opened up the possibility for them to talk, to have their say, to tell their stories of suffering and pain, so they might feel liberated from the burden that has been weighing down on them for so many years."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157075294X
• ISBN13: 9781570752940
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Orbis Books
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Deeper than you ever thought...

I highly recommend this book for a number of reasons. If you are just starting to delve into the knowledge about Guatemala's tragic civil war this is the place to start. What this is is an abridged version of the Human Rights report on the atrocities committed by the Guatemalan army. This book is made up of two things: analysis and then personal testimonies from the victims. What it does for you is reveal that these crimes committed against the indigenous population went far beyond simply stated genocide and ethnic cleansing. There was far more to the army's tactics than massacre and physical torture. The crimes against the Mayas were highly psychological and I think that this report reveals that and puts it clearly. This book takes what you might already know about the horror and brings you in deeper. By the time you're done you will have a more clear, more concise, more accurate picture of what was done by the army to not only affect these people but to also keep them in silence about a war that not too many people know about. It also shows why Guatemala is still so devastated by this war, and what it's going to take to ensure that this history doesn't repeat itself. It's difficult in some places to read, but I think you need to. As you sit in your comfortable house reading it, I think it will change your perception on life. It did mine anyway.